Although John Plumtree would favour a stronger, more recognised Bulls outfit to visit Absa Stadium tonight, it’s game time for his Super 14 players that counts. “There’s a lot of new players in the Bulls side but make no mistake, they always have a point to prove in Durban and have nothing to lose,” he said.

Plum added his players needed contact and game time. “We must know we are ready for Super 14, not hope”.

Skipper Johan Muller highlighted pre-season training, which started in November, had been a blessing for him and the players. “This was a first for me in my rugby career, starting pre-season well in advance and personally, I feel confident and strong. My body is ready,” he said.

With front row woes due to injury, Plum is hoping to give his big name players a run tonight and has enough depth and replacements to allow all fit players a run on the park.

“Beast hasn’t played since November, Jacques Botes and Keegan Daniel will share game time in the second half, Ryan Kankowski has a slight hand injury but will get a run, the backs are strong and it’s a final wrap before the business starts next week in Cape Town. We want to see how players have progressed from the Currie Cup, select the squad for the overseas four-match tour and give some youngsters a run as cover for the senior men as the season progresses. This is by no means our strongest squad – injuries don’t allow for that – but it’s the best we have at the moment. Super 14 is a tough competition and we want to be the best we can be, come the opening whistle,” he said.

Away from Super 14 matters, former Sharks and Springbok scrumhalf, Craig Davidson, was awarded the Freedom of the Park, at Absa Stadium yesterday.

Freedom of the Park was introduced back in 1912 and the latest recipients include Craig’s team-mates John Smit and Butch James who also received the coveted award along with the likes of Wayne Fyvie, John Slade and Gary Teichmann. Besides the recognition, Craig also receives two season tickets for life.

Elapsed Time: 4 mins
The Sharks turn a Bulls’ scrum around 90 degrees and earn the put in attacking to within 10m of the tryline, but good defensive work sees the Bulls come away with the ball and clear to their 10m line.

Elapsed Time: 2 mins
Pienaar kicks deep to get the game underway and the Bulls return the compliment. Both sides test each other, although the Sharks chase the high kicks. JP PIetersen manages to steal the ball from under the nose of the Bulls but gets tackled into touch in the Bulls 22.

Elapsed Time: 7 mins
Rory Kockott makes a lovely break showing strength and athleticism to break through a tackle and give his team some momentum. They take the ball up but it gets scrappy at the breakdown with players all over the show and the Bulls manage to steal possession.

The Bulls are giving the ball plenty of air and looking to disrupt the Sharks’ lineouts, but Craig Burden is having no trouble finding his catchers. The Sharks spin the ball wide and Ruan Pienaar finds a gap, sprints into space and wrong-foots the fullback to score under the posts. He coverts his own try.

Elapsed Time: 14 mins
The Sharks earn their first free-kick at the breakdown just on the edge of the Bulls’ 22. They take it wide, Adi Jacobs rounds the defence nicely and spins the ball out wide but it is lost and the Bulls get the scrum. The Bulls have spent most of the game in their own half and battling to get any continuity going.

Elapsed Time: 16 mins
Jean Deysel puts in one of his trademark devasting runs that leaves opposition would-be attackers lying prone in his wake. The ball is recycled and chipped over the defence but the mark is made.

Elapsed Time: 20 mins
The Bulls look to run the ball from their 22 but just as it looks like the break is on, they kick the ball into touch. The Sharks win another lineout and Craig Burden gets the ball at pace and makes a small break before being tackled. However, the Sharks take the ball wide and Stefan Terblanche grubbers the ball low and forces the Bulls defender to run it into touch 5m out. Burden is back in action and as the Sharks drive the ball over the line, he’s the man in possession, second try! Pienaar’s reliable boot adds the two from a wide angle.

Comment 44, posted at 04.02.09 17:25:56 by robdylan

score is 14-0, for those who are interested

Comment 45, posted at 04.02.09 17:27:08 by robdylan

the enemy claws back 3 points…

Elapsed Time: 24 mins
The Bulls make their first entry deep in the Sharks half as they manage to get into the 22. They earn a penalty for offsides and go for the kick. Francois Brummer converts.

Comment 46, posted at 04.02.09 17:29:03 by robdylan

Burden seems to be playing in the backline!

Elapsed Time: 29 mins
The Sharks are once more on attack and looking dangerous but Stefan Terblanche runs out of options. He manages to fling the ball inside but a hurtling Craig Burden is tackled as he gets the ball and it goes loose. Bulls are saved.

Comment 47, posted at 04.02.09 17:31:33 by robdylan

Elapsed Time: 33 mins
The Sharks earn a penalty on the ground and kick to touch, the lineout taking place 10m out. They regain a loose ball and earn another penalty for offsides, again going for the lineout. Unfortunately the Bulls manage to poach it and clear.

Comment 48, posted at 04.02.09 17:34:31 by robdylan

@robdylan (Comment 48) : must be tired after all the hurtling… failed to find his jumpers

Comment 49, posted at 04.02.09 17:34:59 by robdylan

Gah! Still the finishing lets us down.

Elapsed Time: 38 mins
The Sharks attack again and JP Pietersen follows up excellent work from Jean Deysel who blunders his way through five or six players. The Bulls however earn a penalty at the breakdown.

Comment 50, posted at 04.02.09 17:41:07 by robdylan

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH i forgot about this actually.

I just saw all thes comments by Rob and thought, WTF is Rob doing talking to himself? I thought only Hmmmy and i did that.

Elapsed Time: 40 mins
Stefan Terblanche fields a long kick in his half and hefts it over the defence and makes a lovely touch-finder in the 22. They poach the lineout and spend the next two minutes hammering away on attack, taking the ball from one side to the other and forcing the Bulls to dig deep. The half-time hooter wins the race and at the breakdown, referee Jonathan Kaplan blows for the players to head for the changerooms.

Elapsed Time: 2 mins
The second half is underway and the Bulls have their hands on the ball, opting for a drop-goal – which is wide. Odwa Ndungane is on as is Ross Cronje. The Bulls have a scrum and again go for a drop. Again it goes wide.

Elapsed Time: 45 mins
The Bulls have possession and chip the defence but Francois Steyn collects and grubbers ahead. He chases down the ball-carrier and puts pressure on, the Bulls kick for territory but kick directly out.

Comment 70, posted at 04.02.09 18:02:13 by robdylan

hehehe this is awesome, reminds me of the olden days when I didn’t have broadband coverage of almost every Sharks and Bok game, and I had to hang out online with folks like you getting any update I could. Good job Rob.

Elapsed Time: 51 mins
The Bulls come closest to scoring their first try when the ball goes loose but a Sharks’ boot manages to heave it into touch. The Bulls are showing a bit more interest in running the ball and are now looking a bit more adventurous.

Comment 74, posted at 04.02.09 18:09:02 by robdylan

Elapsed Time: 55 mins
The Bulls earn a penalty just outside The Sharks 22 and again opt to kick. It’s over and the deficit is reduced to eight points.

Elapsed Time: 52 mins
Alistair Hargreaves and Justin Downey come on to replace Johann Muller and Ryan Kankowski as the Sharks have a lineout just outside their 22. The Bulls steal the lineout ball but the Sharks maul them off their own ball and Cronje is able to clear.

Elapsed Time: 57 mins
More changes for the Sharks as Craig Burden comes off, John Smit shifts to hooker and Frik Venter comes on at prop. Chris Jordaan and Riaan Swanepoel have also joined the fray and Frans Steyn has shifted to flyhalf.

Comment 77, posted at 04.02.09 18:14:58 by robdylan

@klempie (Comment 76) : You must never have been married, because if you were, you would know that one is more than enough.

Elapsed Time: 61 mins
The Bulls have managed to steal the ball, but took it back into their 22 before clearing, so The Sharks get the throw-in 10m out. They win the lineout and recycle the ball a number of times before just falling short, but get the penalty, opting for the scrum in front of the posts. They take it wide but lose possession just short of the line.

@robdylan (Comment 87) : Are you trying to insinuate that I’m a….Stormers fan??

Comment 94, posted at 04.02.09 18:24:00 by klempie

@klempie (Comment 94) : Well what do we really know about you, other than you hate the Bulls. Could be any South African outside of Pretoria.

Comment 95, posted at 04.02.09 18:25:11 by Dancing Bear

another try for us, another penalty for them

Elapsed Time: 66 mins
The Bulls lose the ball on attack and the ref blows the scrum. However, the Assistant referee brings his attention to something and the Bulls get a penalty which they convert.

Elapsed Time: 63 mins
The Bulls clear to touch but gain little distance and the Sharks attack off the lineout. Ross Cronje gets the ball and manages to power his way through to score. Frans Steyn drop-kicks the conversion over.

Comment 96, posted at 04.02.09 18:26:07 by robdylan

and now Frans adds a fourth…

Elapsed Time: 67 mins
The Bulls throw a wild speculative pass which goes loose and Francois Steyn is onto it like a flash, kicking it ahead twice before beating the defence to the ball. Kaplan has to confer with his assistants in the absence of a TV ref and awards the try.

Elapsed Time: 69 mins
The Sharks are back on the scoreboard before you know it as JP PIetersen combines with Odwa Ndungane for the latter to get over in the corner. The conversion misses but that’s all academic now!

Elapsed Time: 74 mins
Francois Steyn attampts a chip and chase but is tackled without the ball and earns the penalty. He kicks to touch and the Sharks will have the lineout 5m from the tryline. Unfortunately the Bulls manage to steal the ball and clear.

@robdylan (Comment 114) : Hope this doesn’t put us into a false sense of security.

Comment 119, posted at 04.02.09 18:42:06 by klempie

number 2 for Craig

Elapsed Time: 80 mins
The Sharks have the scrum put-in as the hooter sounds. They take it up strongly a good 30m and almost every player gets involved as finally Craig Burden manages to power over and put a final nail in the Bulls’ coffin.

@robdylan (Comment 120) : Cool. A hiding to get the season off to a decent start. I’m off fellas. Mom needs me to help her install her printer. Her CD-ROM ate the installation disk so I had to download more drivers. Just finished.

@robdylan (Comment 122) : That’s what I’m saying. I just hope they don’t take the result too seriously.

Comment 126, posted at 04.02.09 18:45:31 by klempie

It’s only the pre-season!!!

Comment 127, posted at 04.02.09 18:46:46 by Dancing Bear

Would you rather the Sharks start out like a house on fire and are dead on their feet at the end of the season, or start a little slowly like they did in the Currie Cup and finish off the season with a string of victories, including the Super 14 trophy.

Comment 128, posted at 04.02.09 18:48:45 by Dancing Bear

@Dancing Bear (Comment 128) : i just want them to win every game by 50 points. Is that too much to ask?

Comment 129, posted at 04.02.09 18:54:10 by robdylan

@robdylan (Comment 129) : That is why we love you Rob….your unbridled enthusiasm. Unbridled by reality that is.

Comment 130, posted at 04.02.09 18:58:14 by Dancing Bear

@Dancing Bear (Comment 130) : yeah – I would never let that get in the way of a good fantasy

Comment 131, posted at 04.02.09 19:01:39 by robdylan

I better get some work done….cheers Rob. Thanks for the updates and the enthusiasm.

No doubt FL will we running around with a semi, waxing lyrical about the “positives” he can take out of this game. Well done Sharks that should send a clear message out to all teams….do not send your 2nd rate sides to the Sharktank!